Conventionally, projector devices (projection display devices) using a light valve, such as a liquid crystal display element or DMD (Digital Micromirror Device®), are widely used. Further, in recent years, projection display devices of the above-described type which are capable of projecting a higher definition image and applicable to a large screen are being used at movie theaters, etc. A projection display device for use in this manner employs a three-chip system, wherein three light valves for individual primary colors are provided, a bundle of rays from a light source is separated into bundles of rays of the three primary colors by a color separation optical system and the bundle of rays of each primary color is routed to the corresponding light valve, and then the bundles of rays are combined by a color composition optical system and projected. Therefore, it is required for such a projection display device to have a long back focus and good telecentricity.
In general, a value obtained by dividing a projection distance by a screen width is called “throw ratio”. The screen size and the distance from the screen to the projection booth, i.e., the projection distance, vary among movie theaters. Therefore, in order to project an image of a size suitable for each movie theater, it is necessary to provide a lens corresponding to the throw ratio suitable for the movie theater. However, it is not profitable to prepare a tailor-made lens for each movie theater in view of costs, and therefore it is conceivable to use a variable magnification optical system to accommodate a certain range of throw ratios.
As a variable-magnification projection optical system, those disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-039034, U.S. Pat. No. 6,741,398 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2007-156268 (hereinafter, Patent Documents 1, 2 and 3, respectively), for example, are known. A projection zoom lens of Patent Document 1 includes, in order from the enlargement side, a negative first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a positive fourth lens group and a positive fifth lens group, wherein magnification change is achieved by moving the second lens group, the third lens group and the fourth lens group along the optical axis.
Patent Document 2 discloses a projection zoom lens that includes at least one diffraction optical element and includes, in order from the enlargement side, a negative first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group and a positive fifth lens group, and a projection zoom lens that includes, in order from the enlargement side, a negative first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, a positive fifth lens group and a positive sixth lens group.
Patent Document 3 discloses a projection zoom lens that includes, in order from the enlargement side, a negative first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a positive fourth lens group and a positive fifth lens group, and a projection zoom lens that includes, in order from the enlargement side, a negative first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a positive fourth lens group, a negative fifth lens group and a positive sixth lens group.